The freelance economy, once a small, largely anonymous portion of the workforce, has become a dynamic and growing source of manpower. The flexibility of this workforce cuts both ways: It allows the worker more freedom in determining when and where to work, and it offers the employer the opportunity to downsize brick-and-mortar facilities and benefit from the expanded hours a remote workforce represents.

Staples surveyed office workers and found that 12 percent are full time freelancers, and another 12 percent freelance in addition to working a full time job. When freelancers were asked why they choose not to journey to an office every day, 39 percent said freelancing has led to greater income for them than staff jobs. Another 37 percent said setting their own schedules is the big draw, and 32 percent said they freelance to achieve better work-life balance.

“The freelance economy is a win-win for people who have a desire to work on their own time and companies who want to streamline in-house operations,” said Pat Griffin, enterprise account executive at HourlyNerd, a company that connects businesses who need help with a project to an expert who can do the job. “With smart, collaborative technology becoming more mainstream, the freelance economy enables businesses to redefine their workplace strategy, making the physical workspace more effective by establishing efficient team structures and collaboration models.”